A second life
by Ellemay
Summary: I always wanted to be someone different, you know, someone special to someone else. I was for a while until it all went wrong, everything in my little life. Then I was given one chance to get my life back on track. I just didn't know it at the time.
1. Verbal and Pysical Attacks

**Prologue**

**I always wanted to be someone different, you know, someone special to someone else. I was for a while until it all went wrong. I was given one chance to get my life back on track. i just didn't know it at the time. **

It's funny because all the time you're young you wish you were all grown up, but when you finally get older all you can do is wish you were younger. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it sorta has a twisted logic to me. I guess I better introduce myself, my name is Stacie, yes StacIE my name my spelling thank you very much, Stacie Coldwell and I'm a sixth year at Hogwarts magic school.

I have longish black hair, blue/grey eyes that no one ever notices and I'm quite slim. My one good feature is my clear tanned skin, as you can tell I'm very proud of it (and slightly obsessed). Well what more can I say? I have your average type of parents, not that I don't love them very much but you know they're just a bit well, distant.

Not their fault I assure you, not mine either although they always do seem to blame me and well, hate me. What with all the trouble with me in my fourth year.

You see I made the unforgivable mistake of going out with Mr. Sirius Black, womaniser of the century and a blood-traitor as well! Don't you start giving me evils, diary, I know it sounds really shallow all this blood-traitor stuff but that's what my parents believe in, and parents have the ability to shape their children.

I should know. Anyway its sorta been forced into my head and nothing I do seems to get it out, even committing the biggest atrocity and going out with said Mr. Black. It was hard to force myself to be near him but after a while I realised he was just a sweet guy, ok a womanising sweet guy but not the total jerk my parents had said he was.

That's when I realised my parents weren't always right, or truthful. As for why I went out with him, I was a young teenager and it was my first time at school unsupervised, (my big brother had just left the school). I felt like being a rebel for once, like I said before BIG MISTAKE.

Not only did I get hurt but I also got literally chucked out by my family, I turned up at Christmas and my father grabbed me and threw me outside, the house disappeared from view and I realised they'd made it unplottable. I haven't been able to find them but I do keep looking.

You might ask why I keep looking, I mean they first turn me into a pure-blood freak, made me obsessed with myself and then put into shudder Slytherin house. Then they practically disown me because I was stupid enough to challenge them and go out with Sirius Black and then refuse to dump him, although in the end he dumped me.

By the way, he only dumped me because of my parents' lead him to believe I was a pureblood freak, which I guess I actually am. Ok now I'm just confusing myself but I just wanted you to know he didn't dump me because I'm ugly, I told you I belonged was in Slytherin house!

Anyway, I keep looking for them because they're my parents after all and my family, the only family I have because they turned all the rest against me as well. And because I have literally no where else to go and have spent the last six weeks of summer hols camping out in the forbidden forest. Which may I say, is not a very nice place at all.

But school starts again tomorrow and I have all my stuff this year, unlike last year when I was forced to use the secret passageway to Hogsmede when I remembered I didn't have mom to buy my books and crap. It really is hard fending for yourself, diary, and lucky you will never know this because I will look after you. You will be like my little baby, ok that's slightly disturbing you'll just be like my little diary then, which of course you are anyway… oh never mind.

Write tomorrow, love

StacieXxxX

**Sirius' POV**

_Remus has transformed early! Must be all the disruption with the train stopping on the way, that guy depends on structure way too much. _Sirius ran panting heavily through the forbidden forest, desperately searching for one of his best friends.

"Melin Prongs, Moony, Wormtail! Where the hell are you?!" he muttered uncomfortably to himself, he knew that it was likely some kid had leapt off the train and had ran into the forest. How many times he'd been dared to do that he couldn't count.

Normally it wouldn't be so bad but with a transformed Moony prowling about it was a very very different situation. He was sprinting towards the little lake in the centre of the forest when he heard a sudden high-pitched scream a little to his left. _A girl in the forest, _he thought wonderingly dashing off towards the noise, _now that's a first. And perhaps a last, _he thought soberly, _but not if I can help it. _Sirius dashed off again all ready to be the hero.

_Perhaps the girl will fall in love with me, _he thought arrogantly, _although she probably already is. _Little did he know how wrong he was.

**Narrator POV**

Sirius ran recklessly towards the sound of a ravenous werewolf, he felt slightly nauseated when he heard a sharp crunch. It sounded very much like the breaking of a bone. The screams had stopped a long time ago and as he finally reached the scene he was stopped astonished in his tracks.

A girl was standing imposingly above the motionless shape of Remus, aka werewolf, aka Moony. She held her wand aloft pointing it commandingly at the unconscious werewolf as though waiting for it to get up and attack her again. Her mouth was set in a grim line and eventually she put her wand back in her pocket, she turned and started walking away when an incredulous voice reached her ears.

"Stacie?" Sirius gasped, his eyes finally penetrating the gloomy light of the forest, "is that you, Stacie?"

She felt a flash of irritation as she recognised him, "no it's Stacie's twin, Simone," she snapped sarcastically.

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"No not really, Sirius. Did you really believe that?" she hissed back bitingly.

He shook his head morosely, "did I really ever go out with you? You never seemed such a Slytherin when we were dating."

_Ouch, _Stacie thought wincing deep insideShe pulled herself up haughtily, flicking back her hair with a contemptuous snort. "Like you ever listened to a word I said."

"Like you ever cared," he threw back unflinchingly. _Why the hell do you think I didn't come to lessons for a week after you dumped me, if I didn't care…! _She bit back this sentence from her tongue, _he must never know how much I did like him. At the end anyway. _

She gazed at him coldly, forcing the hurt back down far far down to her heart. _He'll never know. _"Why I am I still here?" Stacie asked herself out loud, "I have much better things to be doing than wasting my time with a useless, pathetic bloodtr-" she was cut off sharply by Sirius' fist finding her cheek with surprising ferociousness.

She stumbled back slightly before recovering herself and standing tall again. Sirius gazed down at his palm before un-scrunching his fingers from the fist and looking back at Stacie.

She had recovered so quickly it made Sirius wonder how many times she'd been hit at before, the way she had flinched away from him came back into his eyes and he felt suddenly ashamed. "Stacie," he began only to be cut off by her soft laughter.

"What?" he asked narrowing his eyes suspiciously as she laughed harder and harder. Stacie had a steely glint in her eyes and as her laughter died she regarded Sirius with a critical eye. "You act like you are so different from your family but when it comes down to it," she paused smiling icily, "you are just the same." His apology froze on his tongue as he slowly shook his head, unable to reply as anger clouded his tongue.

They watched each other warily and so high was their concentration on each other that they failed to hear the soft growls, of a very very angry werewolf.

Sirius walked towards Stacie, his hands forming fists again. "I am nothing like those idiotic, stuck up prats!"

"Oh yeah?" she sniggered, "well the evidence points otherwise." He was just about to fly at her when something else beat him to it. It was Remus, who was totally harmless… unless he was transformed. With a startled cry Stacie fell backwards, Sirius momentarily stunned fumbled quickly with his wand before pointing it regretfully at Moony's back.

"Sorry mate," he whispered before yelling, "moremorta!" which forced the werewolf to run howling off. Kneeling down Sirius confirmed she was still alive and was just about to leave her on the ground, when the howling of Remus convinced him otherwise.

He couldn't leave her to be eaten as much as he hated her guts. With unnecessary force he picked her up off the ground, her head flopping forlornly back as all support left it. She looked dead, cradled in his arms her skin pale, hair falling straight down and her eyes closed.

As Sirius idly brushed a strand of hair away from her lips he caught sight of a bruise slowly forming beneath her eye. He tried to kid himself that Remus had caused it, but not matter how hard he tried he could still see the slight indents of his knuckles.


	2. Logic

"Sirius did you know you have a Slytherin in your arms?" James said crinkling his nose in disgust as he spotted the pretty girl, lying unconscious in Sirius' arms. "No James, I didn't realise," he muttered back sarcastically, shifting Stacie roughly from his arms to a fireman lift to his shoulders.

Remus stood next to James a slight frown marring his smooth features as his eyes fell on Stacie's prone body. Sirius kept walking, they'd just seen him emerging from the forest with a girl cradled in his arms and now they realised the girl looked pretty hurt.

Feeling their accusing glares Sirius attempted to shrug his shoulders, realised Stacie was on them and sighed, irritably pushing her back into a more comfortable position. "Don't look at me like that Remus, it was you that knocked her out!"

"Yeah," Remus replied quickly, "maybe I did but I'm pretty sure I didn't punch her too." Sirius froze, his eyes closed as he remembered the soft warm skin giving way under his fist. "It was an accident." He said shortly, starting to walk again. James snorted but quickly ran to catch up with him, falling into stride they began talking about the hot new girl, Maria Watkiss.

Remus shook his head Stacie wasn't that bad a person really, especially for a Slytherin. He had been a bit sceptical towards her when Sirius had first introduced them, but soon she'd started to talk to him and seemed almost like a normal person.

Then Sirius had dumped her because he thought she was a pureblood maniac and because his parents had heartily approved of her, or at least her name. He shook his head softly to himself, he'd like to apologise to her but then she would realise what he was. Tough luck Remus, because she knows already.

Stacie woke up to find herself surrounded by soft comforting whiteness. _I must be in the hospital wing, _she thought sleepily before shooting back to into a sitting position again. _Damn, what did I do this time? _

She sleepily rubbed a hand across her face, wincing suddenly as her fingers connected with a tender spot below her eye. She pulled open a draw next to her, lifting out the worn wash bowl used for long term causes who had no other choice but to wash in bed. She muttered a water spell and leaned over it, pulling back her hair from her face.

She gazed down upon a pale version of her, the water rippling around the edges of the bowl. Under the blurry image of her left eye was a dark bruise and grasping the bowl she remembered the feel of Sirius' fist connecting against her skin. Soft skin giving way as he forced her head backwards. _But why the hell am I in a hospital wing? And who the hell is Sirius? _She shook her head softly, banishing the confusing thoughts away.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and another wrapped around her face. She let out a muffled scream, panic rising in her as she instinctively fought back. "Stop it, you idiot," hissed a voice she…recognised? No, that thought left her as well as she lay frozen on the bed.

"That's better, Stacie, much better," the voice patronised her softly, a sneering face coming into view. He removed his hand from her mouth, though kept his other firmly closed around her arm. She stared at him in silence, wondering if she could yell for the nurse to help her. "Don't even think about it," he snapped, his eyes narrowing. "I thought I had you trained better than that, Stacie, surely I don't have to train you again?" _What the hell is going on? Train me? _

She opened her mouth finally and whispered, "who are you? What do you want with me?"

"Don't play games Stacie, I'm in a bad enough mood as it is," he snapped shortly. "So what the hell were you doing in the forest? I have my spies everywhere Stacie, so don't even try lying to me."

"The forest?" she asked weakly, her eyes forming tears, "I don't know what you mean. I live with my family, the Coldwells, I go to Hogwarts school. I can't…' she sobbed 'can't remember anything else but I know I go there, I know!"

The guy stared down at her for a while, his black eyes boring deeply into hers. Finally he blinked and began laughing, a cold cruel sound that made Stacie shiver, although she tried to conceal it.

"What's so funny?" she snapped, feeling a little angry as he totally ignored her.

"I'm laughing, because you're telling the truth. The truth! This is the best news I have had all day."

"Excuse me but, best news? That I can't remember anything? And who the hell are you anyway, the freakin'nurse? I don't bloody think so," she snapped at him, her anger and confusion melting together into one explosive surge.

His expression changed noticeably, his eyes turning even blacker and his lips setting into a thin, hard line. He moved threateningly towards her, "still the same old tongue though," he hissed, leaning in. "But I stopped that before, I can again." She flinched, pulling her head backwards as he leaned even closer. He laughed again, "still afraid aren't you? Like a little baby, always crying," he said cruelly.

"It's hard not to be scared when faced with a face like yours," she retorted back, her pride not allowing her to stay silent. He looked for a second like he was going to hit her, then his eyes travelled towards the bruise below her cheek. "Looks like someone beat me to it," he mused idly, grabbing her chin. "Who was it then, my sweetie, who did me a favour?" She stayed silent.

"Oh," he said the surprise evident in his voice, "it was our little blood-traitor, our little Sirius Black? Well I never, I always knew he was more like me then he cared to admit. Same temper, same tastes," he smirked suggestively and this time Stacie couldn't hide her shudder.

His grin grew wider. He was just leaning in again when a voice rang out across the hospital wing, "you're wrong." Stacie turned her head quickly, sensing some way out of the danger. Her eyes settled into the grey ones of Sirius Black. The Sirius Black she couldn't remember.

Her eyes pleaded with him silently as they stared at each other from across the distance, tears welling up slightly as she begged and begged him. The guy leaning over her laughed coldly, "always one to ruin romantic moments Sirius, have you never heard of privacy?"

"Funnily enough Regulas, I have," Sirius shot back, "ever heard of not terrorising little girls?"

"Little girls?" Stacie stuttered, before deciding it was probably best to stay silent. Regulas turned to her and nodded, "she's right, she's not a little girl. She's got to be at least a little whore-" he was cut off suddenly by Stacie whacking him very spectacularly in the face.

"I don't even know who you are but no one, and I repeat, no one insults me and gets away with it," she said, speaking down to him from where he was laying on the floor. He muttered a string of curses, finishing with "you'll regret this, oh yes you will," and scampering out of the hospital wing, tail between his legs. (Not literally, people.)

"Is it true?" Sirius asked moving slowly towards her, "you can't remember anything?" Stacie shook her head, pulling herself back onto her bed and tiredly rubbing her eyes.

"Any idea why I'm in here?" she asked finally.

"No," he snapped quickly, then in a softer voice "no idea, sorry."

"Ok," she muttered back. "So any idea what that was all about? Who is Regulas?" Sirius flinched and looked down at his feet. "Regulas is my brother," he said shortly.

"Oh," Stacie said, feeling a little surprised and depressed. "And I just punched him?"

"Oh no! I mean yes you did, but I hate him. He's a…," he paused for a second as though unable to find words to describe him, "we just don't get on. Or my family."

"You too, huh?" she asked sympathetically, before frowning and shaking her head. "I don't know why I just said that…" she petered out looking confused.

"So you really have forgotten everything?"

"I don't know," she replied testily, " I don't remember." He laughed and she blushed slightly, ducking her head. "Do I know you?" she asked again.

"Yeah I'm Sirius Black,"

"Sirius Black…?" She paused for a long while, her eyes distantly focased.

"Do you remember me?"

She pulled her gaze back towards him, "no, sorry."

"Oh well, I'll have to teach you again," he said jokingly. She winced recalling his brother's words earlier. "What did Regulas mean I can teach you again?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, sorry,"

"No problem," she countered lightly. A silence echoed around them and Sirius cast around for something to say but she beat him to it.

"Is there anything I should I know?" the silence became more pronounced and Sirius looked uncomfortable, shifting his feet and avoiding her gaze.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I dunno, like what's happened in the past few years? Wait, what year am I in?" she asked, feeling depressed again.

"6th year, like me. Well you're in Slytherin house-"

"Is that good?" she interrupted.

"What good?"

"Being in Slytherin house?"

"Oh! Er, well it's…its ok I guess," he said, seeing her desperate expression.

"Only ok?" she asked quietly, pleading him with her eyes.

"Yeah only ok, sorry but I don't really get on with them. Gryffindor doesn't get on with Slytherin, normally."

"Oh," she said in a small voice, staring at her white elegant fingers. She leaned back on her pillows, taking in the vast white expanse above her and slowly counting to ten to calm herself. "Anything else I should know? Do I have a boyfriend?"

"No," Sirius said quickly, "no you don't."

"Hey," she said suddenly sitting up, "what do I look like?"

"Well, haven't you got a mirror?"

She shook her head sadly, eyes downcast.

"Well ok then I'll just…just have to describe you. I would conjure a mirror but my wands been confiscated, some little squirt just-sorry, I'm blabbing on aren't I?"

"A bit," Stacie replied with a small smile. Sirius laughed and shook his head watching her for a second.

"You know, you're not half bad."

"Well thanks," Stacie said slightly sarcastically, blushing a little under his gaze.

"You've got long black hair," Sirius said suddenly into the silence, "erm, bluish eyes. Tanned skin and gorgeous-" he stopped suddenly, looking away.

"What?" Stacie prompted innocently.

"Erm, I'll tell you later," he said, without looking her way. His attention was caught by four figures crossing the hospital wing, looking curiously towards Sirius and her.

Stacie looked to Sirius to tell her who they were but he just ignored her, biting his lip slightly as his eyes looked worried.

"Hey mate," said the guy in front, a tall handsome boy with pitch-black hair, _like mine, _Stacie thought suddenly, brown eyes and tanned skin.

He gave Stacie a cold, slightly hostile look before turning away from her and ignoring her just like Sirius.

_Great, _she thought bitterly, _I wish I knew what I'd done_.

"What you doing here with her? Has She made a complaint about you? Don't worry, we'll all back you up. We know you didn't mean to do it on purpose-"

"Whose She when She's at home?" Stacie snapped.

"I don't know and frankly I don't want to know," James said back, unruffled.

"Listen mate, leave her alone-"

"Why? She's got you in trouble hasn't She? Just you listen here!" James hissed, turning around suddenly and grabbing Stacie's arms. Stacie shrieked and pushed him away, wildly jumping out of her bed and into the corner of the room.

From there she watched James with confused yet scared eyes.

"I wasn't going to hurt you," he said perplexed, everyone knew he had a heart of gold. He'd never dream of hurting a girl.

"She doesn't know that!" yelled someone from behind him. Pushing him out the way a petit red head came carefully over to Stacie, smiling and introducing herself.

"Prongs," Sirius muttered quietly, "she's lost her memory."

"What, for real?"

"No just for fun," muttered another guy, joining the conversation sarcastically. Stacie stared at him for a second, mainly his eyes.

He looked up and caught her watching him but didn't blush. He smiled and held out his hand, "hey, I'm Remus Lupin."

"Hey, I'm Stacie Coldwell. I guess," she added as an afterthought. Remus laughed and Lily took the opportunity to help Stacie back into her bed.

"You'll be stiff for a bit," Lily said calmly, "but nurse says it'll wear off soon enough, you'll be let out of here tomorrow I should think."

"What about my memory?"

Lily faltered, her reassuring smile failing for a second. "I'm sure it'll come back soon." Stacie said nothing.

"I'm here to look after you for a while, as I'm head girl. You'll be staying with me in my dorm as its defiantly big enough!" she said cheerfully, bustling around Stacie as though she was enjoying herself.

"No!" yelled James and Stacie prepared herself for another tantrum.

"No what, James Potter?" Lily said in dangerously quiet voice.

"She can't stay in our dorm," James stated flatly, "she just can't."

"Well she is, so get use to it!" Lily snapped back. They moved to the back of the room, continuing the argument away from the rest of them.

"Well, this is fun," a little guy to her left tried, grinning cutely. "Hey I'm Peter, nice to meet you, again."

"You too Peter," Stacie said with a smile, _at least one of them is normal..._(A/N I know, she's stupid)

Stacie suddenly caught Remus' top and pulled his ear down next to her mouth. Sirius looked furious and Peter looked very bemused as they watched this display.

"You're a werewolf, aren't you?" Stacie whispered in his ear. She felt him stiffen and pull sharply away from her, looking down at her through suspicious eyes.

"How do you know?" he asked tightly.

Stacie shrugged, "something in your eyes, it's like a really strong memory of you in your other form. I just remember looking into your eyes then, black."

Remus and Sirius shared identical shifty looks as Stacie looked away, what else could she remember?

"Why aren't you afraid?" Remus asked curiously.

"Well, you obviously didn't kill me seen as I'm still here. It's just logical."

"Oh."

"I DON'T CARE, LILY! SHE ISN'T STAYING WITH US!" screamed an outraged voice from behind them. "SHE'S A COW AND DESERVES WHAT SHE GETS, SO STUFF THAT IDEA!" The hospital wing went silent and James turned and stormed off, his back quickly disappearing through the swinging doors.

"He didn't mean it," Lily said automatically but it was too late. She'd already gone.


	3. Silly Kids

"Are you all right?" came a concerned voice from behind her.

"I guess," she replied, softly. She was standing at the top of the Astronomy tower, her bare arms covered by a warm looking black coat.

"That doesn't sound very convincing."

"No, I didn't think it would."

They stood in a comfortable silence, adjusting to each other. Eventually they moved closer together and Stacie took the opportunity to see if she knew the person standing next to her. When she didn't recognise him she let out a soft oh and turned back to staring across the grounds.

"What's up?" he asked, leaning casually against the wall with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"I don't remember you, that's all," she said. _That's all! I've lost my memory, that's all! It's not like it's important or anything, just like losing a bloody sock. You can replace it any day. Whatever._

"I've never met you before, silly," he laughed, flipping back his hair.

"Oh well yay for you," Stacie muttered darkly under her breath.

"Cheer up," he said looking her up and down, "it may never happen."

"It already has!" she snapped back irritably.

"Well sorry, what did you do? Break a nail?" he sniped back sarcastically, anger clouding his brown eyes.

"Oh yeah, breaking a nail is really so important to me. I mean, it takes like a whole week to grow back a nail! And now they look so uneven! How will I ever survive?"

"Oh shut up. Like you have any problems."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh just look at you! Pretty, posh and popular, the three fuking P's. Although that's not really surprising with daddy's credit card tucked under one, pampered arm."

"Oh and if you know so much about me you'd know things aren't really like that! But hold on, we've only just met so why am I bothering with you?"

"Exactly. You're so arrogant you can't understand why you waste your time with us 'little people'. You disgust me."

"You don't even know me!"

"I don't have to, it's all in your eyes. Your self centred, piggy eyes."

Stacie turned away from him, walking slowly towards the edge of the tower. Her feet found the bare edge and she crouched down, staring at the vast drop before her. "Would anyone even miss me…?" she asked herself quietly. _Oh how am I supposed to know?! I don't even know myself. For all I've said I could be just what that guy describes me to be. It's likely, more than fucking likely._

"Oh go on then, throw yourself off." The guy sneered at her, "you're pathetic. Can't even handle the truth."

"Stop it!" she screamed, twisting around fast. "Leave me alone!"

He began to laugh and walked swiftly towards her. "Why should I? I've got nothing else to do tonight."

"Get away from me,"

"Oh and are you going to make me?"

Suddenly footsteps echoed loudly on the Astronomy tower steps and the guy turned and fled, shoving past the person coming up.

"Where are you going?" snapped the new arrival, grabbing the other guy who just shrugged him off and ran away.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, goodnight," Stacie replied, finding her tongue. She begun walking past him when he caught her arm, "no, you're not."

"I'm fine Sirius!" she yelled recognising him, "and what do you care anyway? What's it to you?"

"Nothing, but-"

"Exactly, nothing. It has nothing to do with you."

"But Stacie-"

"Oh just leave me alone, you only care when it suits you!"

"What? What the hell do you mean?"

"Oh everything's fine and dandy when we're alone but as soon as someone you respect comes up, bam-you don't give a rats arse. It's like I'm going to ruin your reputation, like I'm not good enough to be around the great Sirius Black."

"You're just the same as you were before you lost your memory!" Sirius cried, looking horrified.

"What, did you expect me to change because my memories have gone? It doesn't work like that!"

"Maybe it would be better if it did!"

"I have had enough people telling me how stuck up I am tonight! Ok, I get it! I'm just a crappy person who believes the world should fall at her feet! Happy now? Because I'm really tired and I need to go to bed. Goodnight."

"Oh get over yourself."

"What?" Stacie asked, stunned.

"Stop feeling so sorry for yourself, get away from the edge you drama queen and ask me why I am standing in the freezing rain with some silly kid."

Stacie stood speechless for a second before looking around, noticing the rain for the first time.

"Why are you here?"

"That's not what I said," Sirius replied, wagging his finger patronisingly.

"I don't care."

"Fine," he said with a long suffering sigh, "I came here to tell you Lily and James have already retired to their separate dorms, having had no luck finding you this evening. Therefore you cannot go to sleep, least not there."

"Well where am I supposed to go then?" asked Stacie, hopefully.

"I dunno, back to the Slytherin common room."

"I don't know where that is," she said, looking pointedly at Sirius.

"Don't look at me like that! How am I supposed to know? It's your common room," Sirius yelped, looking panicked at the thought of knowing its whereabouts.

"And how am I supposed to know?" Stacie asked a little testily.

"Oh yeah," he said looking dumbfounded as he realised there was no way she was getting to the Slytherin dorms that night. "I guess," he hesitated, not really liking the idea himself. "I guess you will have to come to Gryffindor with me."

"Is that allowed?"

"No, but in the circumstances…anyway no one will find out. We've got a spare bunk in our dorm since James moved out."

"I'm not sure I want to," Stacie began.

"Oh shut up, you're coming whether you like it or not. I'm not leaving you up here or Lily will kill me," Sirius said quickly, catching Stacie's arm and steering her towards the trapdoor.

"Fine, if must-"

"You must."

"I said fine already!" she snapped back.

"Do you want to come to my dorm or what?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

They moved quickly around the castle, Stacie remembering a few of the passageways but not many. They got past the Great Hall when Sirius suddenly stopped and pulled a black rag out of nowhere and held it out to Stacie.

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously, taking it.

"A blindfold," he said, grinning in a slightly evil way.

"Oh," she replied. _He still doesn't trust me._

Sirius shifted a little in the silence, having not realised it would upset her.

"Look," he said, starting forwards. "You don't have to wear it."

But she had already slowly wound it around her eyes, hiding them from view. She held out an unsteady arm and waited for Sirius to touch it and guide her forwards. _Maybe he doesn't even want to touch me, _she thought self-pityingly.

Sirius stood awkwardly staring at her for a second, he hadn't meant to offend her. I mean she couldn't know the location of the common room, she was from bloody Slytherin!

He guiltily stepped forwards gently grasping her arm and pulling her through his numerous shortcuts. It would only take them a minute or so to get there.

Stacie stayed silent, carefully planting her feet one in front of the other as she made her way across the passages. She held her head down, trusting the slim black material to hide her humiliation. To hide her tears.


End file.
